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"Is it too much to ask for that workers get the right when they are asked to withdraw their labour to do it in such a way that is secret to them?"

He argued that it was not an attack on unions because many of the largest organisations already held secret ballots and his Employment Relations (Workers' Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill would seal the initiative in law.

In his time as a union organiser, Mr Henare had taken part in show-of-hands votes where he felt leaders could influence the vote just by being there.

National, United Future, and Act backed the bill. Labour, Greens, New Zealand First, the Maori Party and Mana opposed it.

Labour's labour spokeswoman Darien Fenton said the legislation change was frivolous because most unions allowed secret ballots: "[Union members] have freedom to strike or not strike, they are not

marched out the door with their arm behind their back and told to strike."